Household appliance having antennas

ABSTRACT

A household appliance, such as a dishwasher, for treating an item according to at least one automatic cycle of operation includes multiple antennas for transmitting and receiving data with an external network. The multiple antennas can be coupled with a radio also located within the appliance.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/177,820, filed Jun. 9, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/721,990, filed Dec. 20, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.9,375,125, issued Jun. 28, 2016, both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dishwashers include a treating chamber in which dishes are placed to bewashed according to an automatic cycle of operation. Users areincreasingly interested in remote communication with home appliances,including dishwashers, in order to efficiently manage usage of theappliance. It is known to provide a dishwasher with an antenna tofacilitate remote communication. Providing a dishwasher with an antennais challenging because most dishwashers are primarily constructed ofmetal that is electrically connected to earth ground, which acts as alarge Faraday shield and does not allow wireless signals to escape thedishwasher. Previous solutions have included mounting an antenna awayfrom the dishwasher, or mounting an antenna on one of the outsidesurfaces of the dishwasher.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a dishwasher for treating dishes according toat least one automatic cycle of operation, comprising a housing, a tubat least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes fortreatment according to the at least one automatic cycle of operation afirst antenna, a second antenna, and a radio in communication with thefirst and second antennas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an automatic dishwasher accordingto a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a controller of the dishwasher of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dishwasher according to a secondembodiment of the invention, illustrating a control panel on a door ofthe dishwasher.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the control panel of the dishwasher of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a close-up rear view of a portion of the control panel of FIG.4.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the dishwasher of FIG. 3, with a front panelof the door removed for clarity.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of a portion of the dishwasher of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a generic household applianceaccording to a third embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, an automated dishwasher 10 according to a first embodiment ofthe invention is schematically illustrated. The dishwasher 10 sharesmany features of a conventional automated dishwasher, which will not bedescribed in detail herein except as necessary for a completeunderstanding of the invention. The dishwasher 10 has a housing, whichmay include a cabinet or chassis 12 that may define an interior of thedishwasher 10. The dishwasher housing may also include a frame (notshown), with or without panels mounted to the frame. An open-faced tub14 may be mounted to the dishwasher housing and provided within thechassis 12, and may at least partially define a treating chamber 16,having an open face 18 defining an access opening, for washing dishes. Adoor assembly 20 may be movably mounted to the dishwasher 10 formovement between opened and closed positions to selectively open andclose the open face 18 of the tub 14. Thus, the door assembly 20provides accessibility to the treating chamber 16 for the loading andunloading of dishes or other washable items. When the door assembly 20is closed, user access to the treating chamber 16 may be prevented,whereas user access to the treating chamber 16 may be permitted when thedoor assembly 20 is open. While the present invention is described interms of a conventional dishwashing unit, it could also be implementedin other types of dishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multitub dishwashers, or drawer-type dishwashers.

Dish holders, illustrated in the form of upper and lower dish racks 22,24, respectively, are located within the treating chamber 16 and receivedishes for washing. The upper and lower racks 22, 24 are typicallymounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber 16 forease of loading and unloading. Other dish holders may be provided, suchas a silverware basket. As used in this description, the term “dish(es)”is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may betreated in the dishwasher 10, including, without limitation, dishes,plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware. While not shown,additional dish holders, such as a silverware basket on the interior ofthe door assembly 20 or a third level rack above the upper rack 22 mayalso be provided.

A spraying system 28 may be provided for spraying liquid into thetreating chamber 16 and is illustrated as having multiple sprayers inthe form of an upper sprayer 30, a mid-level sprayer 32, a lowerrotatable spray arm 34, and a spray manifold 36. The upper sprayer 30may be located above the upper rack 22 and is illustrated as a fixedspray nozzle that sprays liquid downwardly within the treating chamber16. Mid-level rotatable sprayer 32 and lower rotatable spray arm 34 arelocated, respectively, beneath upper rack 22 and lower rack 24 and areillustrated as rotating spray arms. The mid-level spray arm 32 mayprovide a liquid spray upwardly through the bottom of the upper rack 22.The lower rotatable spray arm 34 may provide a liquid spray upwardlythrough the bottom of the lower rack 24. The mid-level rotatable sprayer32 may optionally also provide a liquid spray downwardly onto the lowerrack 24, but for purposes of simplification, this will not beillustrated herein. The spray manifold 36 may be fixedly mounted to thetub 14 adjacent to the lower rack 24 and may provide a liquid spraylaterally through a side of the lower rack 24. The spray manifold 36 maynot be limited to this position; rather, the spray manifold 36 may belocated in virtually any part of the treating chamber 16. Suitable spraymanifolds are set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,013, issuedNov. 4, 2008, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” and U.S. Pat.No. 7,523,758, issued Apr. 28, 2009, and titled “Dishwasher HavingRotating Zone Wash Sprayer,” both of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

A recirculation system 38 may be provided for recirculating liquid fromthe treating chamber 16 to the spraying system 28. The recirculationsystem 38 may include a sump 40 and a pump assembly 42. The sump 40collects liquid sprayed in the treating chamber 16 and may be formed bya sloped or recessed portion of a bottom wall of the tub 14. The pumpassembly 42 may include both a drain pump 44 and a recirculation pump46. The drain pump 44 may draw liquid from the sump 40 and pump theliquid out of the dishwasher 10 to a household drain line 48. Therecirculation pump 46 may draw liquid from the sump 40, and the liquidmay be simultaneously or selectively pumped through a supply tube 50 toeach of the spray assemblies 30, 32, 34, 36 for selective spraying.While the pump assembly 42 is illustrated as having separate drain andrecirculation pumps 44, 46 in an alternative embodiment, the pumpassembly 42 may include a single pump configured to selectively supplywash liquid to either the spraying system 28 or the drain line 48, suchas by configuring the single pump to rotate in opposite directions, orby providing a suitable valve system. Though not shown, a liquid supplysystem may be fluidly coupled with the recirculation system 38, and mayinclude a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply forsupplying water to the treating chamber 16.

A heating system including a heater 52 may be located within or near thesump 40 for heating liquid contained in the sump 40. A filtering system(not shown) may be fluidly coupled with the recirculation flow path forfiltering the recirculated liquid.

A dispensing system may be provided for storing and dispensing treatingchemistry to the treating chamber 16. As shown herein, the dispensingsystem can include a dispenser 54 mounted on an inside surface of thedoor assembly 20 such that the dispenser 54 is disposed in the treatingchamber 16 when the door assembly 20 is in the closed position. Thedispenser 54 is configured to dispense treating chemistry to the disheswithin the treating chamber 16. The dispenser 54 can have one or morecompartments 56 closed by a door 58 on the inner surface of the doorassembly 20. The dispenser 54 can be a single use dispenser which holdsa single dose of treating chemistry, a bulk dispenser which holds a bulksupply of treating chemistry and which is adapted to dispense a dose oftreating chemistry from the bulk supply during a cycle of operation, ora combination of both a single use and bulk dispenser. The dispenser 54can further be configured to hold multiple different treatingchemistries. For example, the dispenser 54 can have multiplecompartments defining different chambers in which treating chemistriescan be held. While shown as being disposed on the door assembly 20,other locations of the dispenser 54 are possible.

A controller 60 may also be included in the dishwasher 10, which may beoperably coupled with various controllable components of the dishwasher10 to implement a cycle of operation. The controller 60 may be locatedwithin the door assembly 20 as illustrated, or it may alternatively belocated elsewhere within the chassis 12. The controller 60 may also beoperably coupled with a control panel or user interface 62 for receivinguser-selected inputs and communicating information to the user. The userinterface 62 may include operational controls such as dials, lights,switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands, such as acycle of operation, to the controller 60, and receive information.

The dishwasher 10 may further include a radio system in communicationwith the controller 60 for the exchange of data between the controller60 and an external device, such as a home router. The radio system mayinclude multiple antennas for external communication. In manydishwashers, the tub 14 is made from metal. The metal tub 14 iselectrically connected to earth ground, and acts as a large Faradayshield which does not allow wireless signals to escape the dishwasher10. The dishwasher 10 may employ antenna diversity to improve thequality and strength of the wireless signal, and the multiple antennasof the dishwasher 10 may be located relative to the tub 14 such thatsignals from the antennas are not disrupted by the metal tub 14. Even ifthe dishwasher 10 is provided with a plastic tub 14, antenna coveragemay still prove to be an issue if the dishwasher 10 is provided with ametal front panel or metal console, or if the dishwasher 10 is placednear a metal object, like another appliance.

In the embodiment shown herein, the radio system includes a firstantenna 64 and a second antenna 66. The antennas 64, 66 may be spacedfrom one another and can be directional, such that a complete,substantially spherical coverage pattern is provided, with each antenna64, 66 providing approximately a hemisphere of coverage. The antennas64, 66 may need to communicate with a wireless router within the home,and the location of the wireless router with respect to the dishwasher10 can vary from home to home. Thus, if the wireless router is somewherewithin the first hemisphere of coverage provided by the first antenna64, the first antenna 64 alone may be able to communicate with thewireless router. Likewise, if the wireless router is somewhere withinthe second hemisphere of coverage provided by the second antenna 66, thesecond antenna 66 alone may be able to communicate with the wirelessrouter.

The number and location of the antennas can be varied in order toachieve a desired coverage pattern, and may depend on factors such asthe materials used to construct the dishwasher 10, and the environmentin which the dishwasher will be located. For example, a dishwasherhaving a plastic tub rather than a metal tub may still experienceantenna coverage issues if it is placed next to a metal object, such asanother appliance like a refrigerator. In one example, one or both ofthe antennas 64, 66 can be a PIFA (“planar inverted-F antenna”), a slotantenna, or a PESA (“passive electronically scanned antenna”), althoughother types of antennas may be usable as well.

The dishwasher 10 comprises at least a first side and a second side,with the first antenna 64 located on the first side and the secondantenna 66 located on the second side. The first and second sides can bein an opposing relationship (i.e. can be formed by front and rear sides,or right and left sides), or can be located in an adjacent relationship(i.e. can be formed by a front and right side, a right and rear side, arear and left side, or a left and front side). The sides can be sides ofthe dishwasher's housing, but the antennas 64, 66 are not necessarilymounted to the surface or face of the housing. The antennas 64, 66 canbe mounted to an exterior or interior surface of the chassis 12, the tub14, the frame (not shown), or panels mounted to the frame.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first antenna is provided on orlocated proximate to a front of the dishwasher 10, and is referred toherein as a front antenna 64. The second antenna is provided on orlocated proximate to a rear of the dishwasher 10, and is referred toherein as a rear antenna 66. The door assembly 20 can define the frontof the dishwasher 10, while a rear wall of the tub 14 may define therear of the dishwasher 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the frontantenna 64 is mounted within the door assembly 20, and the rear antenna66 is mounted below the tub 14 in the rear of the dishwasher 10. Otherpossible locations for the front antenna 64 include, but are not limitedto, the front kick plate 21 of the dishwasher 10 (FIG. 3) and the badgeor nameplate 23 which visually displays a logo for the dishwasher 10(FIG. 3).

The radio system can further include one or more communication moduleswhich operably couples the front and rear antennas 64, 66 to thecontroller 60. As illustrated, the front and rear antennas 64, 66 areoperably coupled with a common communication module, which may include aradio 68, which is in turn operably coupled with the controller 60. Theradio 68 provides an interface between the appliance controller 60 andan external network and can comprise a Wi-Fi radio module. The radio 68includes a first cable 70 connected to the front antenna 64 and a secondcable 72 connected to the rear antenna 66. While only one radio 68 isshown herein, each antenna 64, 66 can be coupled with a separate radio.In one example, one or both of the cables 70, 72 can be a coaxial cable,although other types of cables, connections or wiring may be usable aswell.

The front antenna 64 can define a first artificial boundary, and thesecond antenna 66 can define a second artificial boundary, such that thefirst and second artificial boundaries define a bound area therebetween.The radio 68 can lie within the bound area, which can minimize thelength of the cables 70, 72 connecting the antennas to the radio 68.Minimizing cable length reduces cable loss, which is the amount ofdissipation of the signal due to resistance and is dependent on cablelength. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 1, the radio 68 can liebetween the first and second antennas 64, 66. This helps optimize thelengths of the cables 70, 72. In the illustrated embodiment, the radio68 is mounted in the door assembly 20 along with the first antenna 64,but is spaced from and below the first antenna 64 in order to minimizethe distance to the second antenna 66. The radio 68 can also bevertically higher than the second antenna, in order to prevent the cable70 to the first antenna 64 from needing to be too long. Other possiblelocations for the radio 68 include, but are not limited to, the frontkick plate 21 of the dishwasher 10 (FIG. 3) or beneath the tub 14.

The cables 70, 72 are ideally as short as practically possible in orderto reduce cable loss. However, since the antennas 64, 66 are placed ondifferent sides of the dishwasher 10 in order to achieve the desiredcoverage pattern, the length of the cables 70, 72 needs to be balancedagainst each other and the amount of acceptable cable loss. In oneexample, the length of the cables 70, 72 can be less than or equal to1,500 mm and have an acceptable amount of cable loss. In anotherexample, the length of the cables 70, 72 can be less than or equal to1,200 mm. In yet another example, the length of the first cable 70 canbe approximately 730 mm, with a tolerance of ±26 mm, and the length ofthe second cable 72 can be approximately 1185 mm, with a tolerance of±40 mm. Using a higher grade of wire for the cables 70, 72 can also keepcable loss low, but this solution is more expensive. If the two cables70, 72 are equal in length, both antennas 64, 66 have the same amount ofcable loss. However, in practical terms, some difference in length willnot affect performance of the antennas 64, 66. In the illustratedembodiment, for example, the radio 68 is closer to the front antenna 64.

As illustrated schematically in FIG. 2, the controller 60 may be coupledwith at least one controllable component configured to implement anautomatic cycle of operation, non-limiting examples of which include theheater 52 for heating the wash liquid during a cycle of operation, thedrain pump 44 for draining liquid from the treating chamber 16, and therecirculation pump 46 for recirculating the wash liquid during a cycleof operation. The controller 60 may be provided with a memory 74 and acentral processing unit (CPU) 76. The memory 74 may be used for storingcontrol software that may be executed by the CPU 76 in completing acycle of operation using the dishwasher 10 and any additional software.For example, the memory 74 may store one or more pre-programmed cyclesof operation that may be selected by a user and completed by thedishwasher 10. The controller 60 may also receive input from one or moresensors 78. Non-limiting examples of sensors that may be communicablycoupled with the controller 60 include a temperature sensor and aturbidity sensor to determine the soil load associated with a selectedgrouping of dishes, such as the dishes associated with a particular areaof the treating chamber. The controller 60 may also be coupled with theradio 68 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the antennas64, 66 via the radio 68.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dishwasher 10 according to a secondembodiment of the invention. The dishwasher 10 can include many of thesame elements disclosed for the schematic embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2,and like elements will be referred to with the same reference numeralsfor both embodiments. The dishwasher 10 includes a control console orpanel 80 located on the front of the dishwasher 10. The front antenna 64can be located within the control panel 80.

The control panel 80 can be mounted at an upper end of the door assembly20 of the dishwasher 10. The control panel 80 can include a face plate82 mounted above a front panel 84 of the door assembly 20, and the userinterface 62 of the dishwasher 10, which can be carried by the faceplate 82. The user interface 62 can include operational controls such astactile switches covered with buttons 86 and a display 88, among otherpossible configurations can include various combinations of dials,lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands andreceive information. The door assembly 20 can also include a handle 90attached to the front panel 84; as shown herein, the handle 90 ispositioned below the control panel 80.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the control panel 80 of FIG. 3. The frontantenna 64 can be located behind the face plate 82 of the control panel80. As shown herein, the front antenna 64 is located laterally withrespect to a user interface bracket 92, which couples the user interface62 (FIG. 3) to the rear side of the front panel 84.

FIG. 5 is a close-up rear view of a portion of the control panel of FIG.4. An antenna receiver 94 can be formed on the rear side of the faceplate 82 for accommodating the front antenna 64, and can include walls,openings, bosses, and the like for operational support of the antenna64. The face plate 82 can further be provided with a wire routingfeature 96 for routing the cable 70 connected the front antenna 64 andfor providing strain relief. The wire routing feature 96 includes a pairof opposing tabs 98 which can accommodate the cable 70 and which reducethe strain on the cable 70.

The front antenna 64 can be contained within a housing, which includes ahousing base 100 and a housing cover 102. The housing base 100 includesa mounting flange 104 having a hole 106 which receives a fastener (notshown) for attaching the front antenna 64 to the control panel 80, and acable outlet 108 providing a pathway for the cable 70 connected to thefront antenna 64 to exit the antenna housing. The antenna housing can bemade from a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

FIG. 6 is a front view of the dishwasher of FIG. 3, with the front panel84 and the control panel 80 of the door assembly 20 removed for clarity.The door assembly 20 includes a rear panel 110 which, together with thefront panel 84 and control panel 80 (FIG. 3) defines an interior space112 in which components of the dishwasher 10 can be accommodated. Asshown herein, at least the dispenser 54, the controller 60, the radio 68and the front antenna 64 can be accommodated within the interior space112. Furthermore, the first cable 70 coupling the front antenna 64 tothe radio 68 can extend through the interior space 112. A common bracket114 can be provided for mounting the dispenser 54 and the radio 68 tothe rear panel 110. A wiring harness 116 can be provided at a lower endof the interior space 112 for passing wiring, including the second cable72 coupling the radio 68 to the rear antenna 66 (FIG. 7). Anotherpossible location for the front antenna 64 includes providing the frontantenna 64 with the radio 68, such as by embedding the front antenna 64on a printed circuit board of the radio 68.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of a portion of the dishwasher 10 of FIG. 3. Therear antenna 66 can have substantially the same structure as the frontantenna 64. The rear antenna 66 can be located on the rear side of thedishwasher, below the tub 14. As shown herein, in one configuration, therear antenna 66 can be mounted to a frame 118 which supports the tub 14on a ground surface. The frame 118 can be considered as part of thedishwasher housing, may define a space in which components of thedishwasher, such as a pump, are typically accommodated. The frame 118can have one or more legs 120 configured to rest on the ground surface.More specifically, a gusset 122 can be attached to the frame 118, andthe antenna housing, formed in part by the housing base 100, can beattached to the gusset 122 using a fastener (not shown) received withinthe hole 106 of the mounting flange 104. The second cable 72 enters theantenna housing via the cable outlet 108. The rear antenna 66 may beexposed, in that it is not covered by a panel of the dishwasher 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, a Cartesian coordinate system can be conceptuallyapplied to the dishwasher 10, with an X-axis extending parallel to thefront and rear bottom edges of the dishwasher 10, a Y-axis extendingparallel to the right and left sides of the dishwasher 10, and a Z-axisextending parallel to the side bottom edges of the dishwasher 10. TheX-axis and other axes parallel thereto define an “X-direction”, theY-axis and other axes parallel thereto define a “Y-direction”, and theZ-axis and other axes parallel thereto define a “Z-direction”. Thedishwasher 10 has three principle planes; an azimuth plane A defined bya plane extending between the X-axis and the Y-axis, an elevation planeB defined by a plane extending between the X-axis and the Z-axis, and asecondary elevation plane C defined by a plane extending between theY-axis and the Z-axis.

A dishwasher having front and rear antennas was performance tested, andantenna scans were performed in the three principle planes of theappliance: the azimuth plane, the elevation plane, and the secondaryelevation plane. During testing, the front antenna 64 and the rearantenna 66 were positioned in the locations shown in FIGS. 3-7. It wasfound that the antennas 64, 66 provide a substantially sphericalcoverage pattern for the dishwasher, with each antenna 64, 66 providingapproximately a hemisphere of coverage, with substantially no blindspots in any of the three principle planes of the dishwasher.

While the embodiments described above relate to a dishwasher, it is alsocontemplated that the concept can be applied to any type of householdappliance having a housing primarily constructed from metal. FIG. 8 is aschematic illustration of a generic household appliance 130 according toa third embodiment of the invention. The appliance 130 has a housing 132primarily constructed from metal and that defines an interior of theappliance 130. A treating chamber 134 may be mounted to the housing 132and provided at least partially within the interior. The treatingchamber 134 can have an access opening and a door (not shown) mayselectively open and close the access opening. Thus, the door providesaccessibility to the treating chamber 134 for the loading and unloadingof items. The housing 132 further has a front face 136, a rear face 138,and a top face. The household appliance 130 illustrated in FIG. 8 mayinclude a refrigerator, a washing machine, or a clothes dryer. In thecase of a refrigerator, a front-loading washing machine, and afront-loading clothes dryer, the door may be provided on the front face136 of the housing 132. In the case of a top-loading washing machine orclothes dryer, the door may be provided on the top face 140.

The appliance 130 may receive one or more item(s), and may treat theitem(s) according to a useful cycle of operation. For example, in thecase of a refrigerator, the treating chamber 134 can receive one or morefood item(s), and the refrigerator can perform a cooling cycle on thefood item(s) in the treating chamber 134. In the case of a washingmachine, the treating chamber 134 can receive one or more clothingitem(s), and the washing machine can perform a washing cycle on theclothing item(s) in the treating chamber 134. In the case of a clothesdryer, the treating chamber 134 can receive one or more clothingitem(s), and the clothes dryer can perform a drying cycle on theclothing item(s) in the treating chamber 134. Other examples ofappliances 130 typically found within a home and which may be used withthe present invention include a freezer, a range, a stove, and acooktop.

A controller 142 may also be provided on the housing 132, which may beoperably coupled with various controllable components of the appliance130 to implement a cycle of operation. The controller 142 may also beoperably coupled with a control panel or user interface 144 forreceiving user-selected inputs and communicating information to theuser. The user interface 144 may include operational controls such asdials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands,such as a cycle of operation, to the controller 142 and receiveinformation.

The appliance 130 may further include a radio system in communicationwith the controller 142 for the exchange of data between the controller142 and an external device, such as a home router. The radio system maybe substantially similar to the radio system disclosed for the firstembodiment, and may include multiple antennas for externalcommunication, including the first and second antennas 64, 66, radio 68,and cables 70, 72 described above. The antennas 64, 66 can have asubstantially similar structural package to that shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

Like the dishwasher described above, the metal housing 132 of thehousehold appliance 130 is electrically connected to earth ground, andacts as a large Faraday shield which does not allow wireless signals toescape the appliance 130. The appliance 130 may employ antenna diversityto improve the quality and strength of the wireless signal, and themultiple antennas of the appliance 130 may be located such that signalsfrom the antennas are not disrupted by the metal housing 132. Even ifthe appliance 130 is provided with a partially plastic housing 132,antenna coverage may still prove to be an issue if the appliance 130 isprovided with a metal front panel or metal console, or if the appliance130 is placed near a metal object, like another appliance.

The number and location of the antennas can be varied in order toachieve a desired coverage pattern, and may depend on factors such asthe materials used to construct the appliance 130, and the environmentin which the appliance 130 will be located. For example, in the case ofa refrigerator, the first antenna 64 can be located on the housing 132behind a grill or kick plate provided on the front face 136 of thehousing 132, below the refrigerator door, and the second antenna 66 canbe located at a lower portion of the rear face 138 housing 132. In thecase of a washing machine, the first antenna 64 can be located at thefront of the housing 132, behind a console for a user interface providedon the front face 136 of the housing 132, and the second antenna 66 canbe located at the rear of the housing 132, such as on the rear face 138of the housing 132. In the case of a clothes dryer, the first antenna 64can be located at the front of the housing 132, behind a console for auser interface provided on the front face 136 of the housing 132, andthe second antenna 66 can be located at the rear of the housing 132,such as on a rear face 138 of the housing 132.

A Cartesian coordinate system can be conceptually applied to theappliance 130, with an X-axis extending parallel to the front and rearbottom edges of the appliance 130, a Y-axis extending parallel to theright and left sides of the appliance 130, and a Z-axis extendingparallel to the side bottom edges of the appliance 130. The X-axis andother axes parallel thereto define an “X-direction”, the Y-axis andother axes parallel thereto define a “Y-direction”, and the Z-axis andother axes parallel thereto define a “Z-direction”. The appliance 130has three principle planes; an azimuth plane A defined by a planeextending between the X-axis and the Y-axis, an elevation plane Bdefined by a plane extending between the X-axis and the Z-axis, and asecondary elevation plane C defined by a plane extending between theY-axis and the Z-axis.

A refrigerator having front and rear antennas was performance tested,and antenna scans were performed in the three principle planes of theappliance: the azimuth plane, the elevation plane, and the secondaryelevation plane. During testing, one antenna was positioned behind akick plate provided at the front of the refrigerator housing, below therefrigerator door, and another antenna was positioned at a lower portionof the rear surface of the refrigerator housing. It was found that theantennas provide a substantially spherical coverage pattern for therefrigerator, with each antenna providing approximately a hemisphere ofcoverage, with substantially no blind spots in any of the threeprinciple planes of the refrigerator.

A washing machine having front and rear antennas was performance tested,and antenna scans were performed in the three principle planes of theappliance: the azimuth plane, the elevation plane, and the secondaryelevation plane. During testing, one antenna was positioned behind aconsole for a user interface provided on the front face of the washerhousing, and another antenna was positioned at an upper portion of therear surface of the washer housing. It was found that the antennasprovide a substantially spherical coverage pattern for the washingmachine, with each antenna providing approximately a hemisphere ofcoverage, with substantially no blind spots in any of the threeprinciple planes of the washing machine.

A clothes dryer having front and rear antennas was performance tested,and antenna scans were performed in the three principle planes of theappliance: the azimuth plane, the elevation plane, and the secondaryelevation plane. During testing, one antenna was positioned behind aconsole for a user interface provided on the front face of the dryerhousing, and another antenna was positioned at an upper portion of therear surface of the dryer housing. An alternative location for the rearantenna was also tested, with the rear antenna positioned at a lowerportion of the rear surface of the dryer housing. It was found that theantennas in either location provide a substantially spherical coveragepattern for the clothes dryer, with each antenna providing approximatelya hemisphere of coverage, with substantially no blind spots in any ofthe three principle planes of the clothes dryer.

The apparatus disclosed above provides a household appliance withmultiple antennas, allowing the controller of the appliance tocommunicate with an external device. One advantage that may be realizedin the practice of some embodiments of the described systems and methodsis that, even with a metal tub, the appliance has a complete antennacoverage pattern, such that the appliance can communicate with anexternal device, regardless of the location of the external device withrespect to the appliance. Another advantage that may be realized in thepractice of some embodiments of the described systems and methods isthat cable loss is minimized by placing the radio for the applianceantennas with a bound area defined by the antennas.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection withcertain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that thisis by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variationand modification are possible within the scope of the forgoingdisclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of theinvention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to atleast one automatic cycle of operation, comprising: a housing having afront and a rear; a tub within the housing defining a treating chamberfor receiving dishes for treatment according to the at least oneautomatic cycle of operation, and having an open face at the front ofthe housing; a door assembly movably mounted to the housing for movementbetween opened and closed positions to selectively open and close theopen face of the tub; a controller coupled with at least onecontrollable component configured to implement the at least oneautomatic cycle of operation; a first antenna provided at the front ofthe housing; a second antenna mounted below the tub at the rear of thehousing; and a radio operatively coupled with the first antenna, thesecond antenna, and the controller; wherein the first antenna and thesecond antenna lie on opposite sides of a plane extending verticallythrough and bisecting the housing.
 2. The dishwasher of claim 1 andfurther comprising at least one of: a kick plate on the front of thehousing below the door assembly; or a nameplate which visually displaysa logo for the dishwasher; wherein the first antenna is located on theat least one of the kick plate or nameplate.
 3. The dishwasher of claim1 and further comprising a kick plate on the front of the housing belowthe door assembly, wherein the first antenna is located on the kickplate.
 4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the radio is located on thekick plate.
 5. The dishwasher of claim 1 and further comprising anameplate which visually displays a logo for the dishwasher, wherein thefirst antenna is located on the nameplate.
 6. The dishwasher of claim 1wherein the first antenna and the second antenna lie on opposite sidesof a plane horizontally through and bisecting the housing.
 7. Thedishwasher of claim 1 wherein the radio lies between the first andsecond antennas.
 8. The dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the radio is at adifferent height than both of the first and second antennas.
 9. Thedishwasher of claim 1 wherein the first antenna lies above the radio andthe second antenna.
 10. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the radio islocated beneath the tub.
 11. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the radiois mounted in the door assembly.
 12. The dishwasher of claim 1 whereinthe radio is spaced from and below the first antenna.
 13. The dishwasherof claim 1 wherein the radio is provided with at least one of the firstand second antennas.
 14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the radiocomprises a printed circuit board, and first antenna is embedded on theprinted circuit board of the radio.
 15. The dishwasher of claim 13 andfurther comprising at least one cable coupling the radio with at leastone of the first and second antennas.
 16. The dishwasher of claim 15wherein the door assembly includes a front panel and a rear panel whichdefine an interior space, and wherein the at least one cable extendsthrough the interior space.
 17. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein thehousing further comprises a frame which supports the tub on a groundsurface, and wherein the second antenna is mounted to the frame.
 18. Thedishwasher of claim 1 and further comprising a first cable connected tothe radio and the first antenna and a second cable connected to radioand the second antenna.
 19. The dishwasher of claim 18 wherein the firstand second cables are substantially equal in length.